Horrific weight gain

[redbunnyfruitcake]

I'm only 23 weeks and have gained a whopping 2st 4lbs!!!! I am horrified. This is my second pregnancy and I only gained 3 and a half stone with my first so am upset to be heading that way so quickly. I had awful nausea in the first 3 months and have obviously over indulged since but cannot believe how quickly it's going on. I am active with my 3.5 year old and don't stuff myself silly all day long but don't seem to be able to get it under control.

Anyone else had this problem? Did the weight gain level off with a bit of careful eating? I'm doing a sugar, wheat and caffeine detox to try to rein myself in but I'm terrified of getting bigger. Or is this just 2nd pregnancy stuff?

[gertrudestein]

I'm only on my first pregnancy but the best bit of advice I've had so far is not to weigh myself. Now is not the time to be worrying about it! There will be plenty of time for that later. Just try to eat healthily and feel good.

[worsestershiresauce]

The last trimester is all about indigestion and a squashed stomach so you may like me find it hard to eat much then so the weight gain will even out.

Cutting down on sugar and caffeine is probably sensible anyway, but if you cut out wheat be careful to replace it with another source of wholegrain or you may miss out on essential vitamins, minerals and fibre.

[givemeaclue]

Avoid "eating for two". The extra calories you need are equivalent lo a banana eacheday

[nananaps]

Ha! yes, i gained 4 stone on a mainly Cadbury based 9 month diet

Im at slimming world now trying to get it all off....hard work!

It was my 2nd succesful pregnancy too. Gained 2 stone woth my 1st as i recall.
Good luck!

[mum23girlys]

I always gain all my weight before 30 weeks. Have a tendency to look full term from about 5 months. My last pregnancy I gained 4 stone and was bigger than I had been with my twins.

As long as you are eating healthy foods and not eating enormous portions then you should be fine. Try and avoid treat type food as they are empty calories. Eat foods that keep you fuller for longer. Beans on wholemeal toast, eggs, homemade soup etc. Maybe try keeping salads made up in the fridge and fruit that you enjoy to hand. I have to do that or I end up munching crisps and biscuits.

[TinkyPeet]

In my 2nd pregnancy I stopped weighing myself at 26 weeks after a 6 stone gain.....managed to shift it after about 9/10 months, now 27 weeks with #3 and think I might have just hit a stone x

[Petcat]

I put on a fair bit of weight very quickly during this pregnancy (it's my first). At least a stone and a half by 18 weeks (at this point I weighed myself daily out of habit). I don't feel I've eaten much more than I normally would but have exercised less due to PGP and have definitely eaten more wheat-based food like bread and pasta.

I started making me feel a bit sad, especially reading the horrible NHS pages about being overweight in pregnancy, and all the threads on here making it seem like it's normal to lose weight while pregnant!

I think dieting while pregnant risks depriving baby of nutrients so decided I would defer the diet until after baby arrives, and packed up my scales at around 20 weeks. I have spent the past 3 months happily oblivious to my weight, it's great! I still wear the same size in maternity clothes and probably do weigh a lot more than before, but as it's impossible to know how much is pregnancy-essentials and how much is my arse, I really don't want to know. I am planning to weigh myself 8 weeks post-partum and take it from there. Apparently Slimming World works the best if you're BF and busy looking after a little baby because it mainly involves eating real food that's convenient to prepare, with lots of healthy snacks between meals.

[DerbyNottsLeicsNightNanny]

I've put on 1.5stones & am only 18wks, am horrified but its done now, am eating less now but still more than i should be.

Had (& have still got some days) really bad nausea only eased by eating, plus on top of that was being v.greedy. Normally I'm quite strict with what I eat & go to gym a lot but since being preg its all gone out the window. I am just resigning myself to having a lot to lose afterwards

Put on 2stone 11lbs with ds but sure I will go over that this time. I look & feel huge but its not all on bump, it has gone everywhere else too

[Teaandflapjacks]

I think a lot of it depends with what you started at. I think people that lose weight are normally on the high end of BMI. I don't know if this helps - but I had a normal range BMI, lost a stone at first due to extreme morning sickness and now at 24/25 weeks have gained it all back and I have been steadily gaining a kilo a week at the moment. I definitely eat more carbs than I used to, toast, cereal, pasta etc. I still can't stomach meat. I have totally gone off processed food though (bar S&V crisps and jammy dodgers). I definitely eat more than before I was pg. But I spoke to my Gyn about my weight loss/gain etc and she said mostly people who have morning sickness just end up catching up a bit later on. Some people put on lots at first, and the it tails off. I live in germany, where you see a Gyn in the first place, and there they weigh you, take your bloods and test your BP and pee every 4 weeks, there is no escaping it here! I suppose I could refuse, but that would look rather daft when they are just trying to help me and monitor me and the baby. And actually it was very useful with my morning sickness etc.

The most important thing is you and baby are ok. And some people get terrible water retention. Some people lose a lot of weight very quickly. Some people put on not so much, but then can't shift it as quick, and on and on. So don't worry - in the end it really doesn't matter. It's the first time I have had in about ten years that I scoffed half a pack of biccies, or a tube of pringles, or half a loaf of bread as toast with butter and marmite and didn't feel that guilt afterwards, if you know what I mean. I know that sounds so sad and stupid, but the pressure on us women to look a certain size and weight is immense, it is day in, day out, and TBH in pregnancy people can bugger off to some degree. I am going to enjoy it while I can. And if you have given up all booze, like me, actually think of all those calories you are not adding, which can be then substituted for biccies.

[pinkteapot]

I'm 34weeks with no 4. have gained 3.5 - 4 stone each time, happily munching my way to wide load! lost all of it each time with weight watchers. took between 4 and 6 months each time. so i'd say dont worry, eat lots of healthy food, a decent slice of treat food, n worry bout the rest afterwards!

[redbunnyfruitcake]

Thank you for lots of helpful supportive advice and some laughs too. I needed to get some perspective and realise that a bit of healthy eating and less cake will probably slow things down enough to make it manageable. Just wish the boobs would calm down as I'm not used to being so busty!

[smallsmith]

Oh me too! I had tidy boobs & was always slim, but now even my mum (who has always thought I was too thin) can't help but comment on how much weight I've put on! I'm now bigger than she is which is a first. Grrrr. But as others have said, now is not the time to worry, our bodies are doing incredible things to support the growing babies, and so a few extra pounds (or more than a few in my case!) seem worth it to me. Try & eat healthily most of the time, and just enjoy your food and enjoy the pregnancy x

[CareerGirl01]

You'll be fine! And avoid the threads where people go on about how much weight they have lost! I find these disingenuous - as tea points out a lot of these women have/had high BMIs when they got pregnant.